Flag of Kenya
Black, red and green horizontal stripes separated by thin white lines, with a red, white and black Maasai shield and two crossed white spears in the centre.
At a glance
- Adopted
- December 12, 1963
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Nairobi
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- black
- red
- green
- white
What it means
- Black: the people of Kenya
- Red: the blood shed in the struggle for freedom
- Green: the land, farming and natural wealth
- White lines: peace and honesty
- Shield and spears: the defence of everything above
Where it came from
The flag is based mainly on the black, red and green flag of KANU, the Kenya African National Union, which led the fight for independence. A committee set up by Jomo Kenyatta blended it with ideas from the other big party, KADU, and added the thin white lines. Tom Mboya is often named as the designer.
The shield and spears recall the emblem of an earlier party, the Kenya African Union.
History
Kenya was a British colony until independence. The Kenya African Union used a black and red flag in 1951, then a black, red and green flag with a shield and spear in 1952. KANU adopted a similar tricolour in 1960.
The national flag was raised on independence day, 12 December 1963. The 2010 constitution includes the flag's exact design.
Fun facts
- The flag's design is written into Kenya's constitution.
- The shield is a traditional Maasai shield.
- Its colours were inspired by the Pan-African flag of 1920.
- KANU's 1960 party flag showed a rooster holding an axe instead of the shield and spears.
Easy to mix up with
South Sudan: South Sudan has the same stripes but a blue triangle with a yellow star at the pole
Malawi: Malawi has black, red and green stripes with a red rising sun on the black
Questions
What does the flag of Kenya look like?
Black, red and green horizontal stripes separated by thin white lines, with a red, white and black Maasai shield and two crossed white spears in the centre.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Kenya mean?
Black: the people of Kenya; Red: the blood shed in the struggle for freedom; Green: the land, farming and natural wealth; White lines: peace and honesty; Shield and spears: the defence of everything above.
When was the flag of Kenya adopted?
The current flag of Kenya was adopted on December 12, 1963.
What colours are on the flag of Kenya?
The flag of Kenya uses black, red, green and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Kenya?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of South Sudan. South Sudan has the same stripes but a blue triangle with a yellow star at the pole
Famous landmarks in Kenya
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)